Ten Years of Miss Amazing

This next year holds a major milestone for Miss Amazing. It's our 10th birthday!

In 2007, I was thirteen-years-young and was struck by a vision for a program that would enrich my community as much as the Special Olympics had. We decked out a small community center with party decorations, had a potluck dinner, and handed over the mic to the fifteen original Miss Amazing princesses.

Three years after that first Miss Amazing event, the program had grown in Nebraska from a humble event to a vibrant community program that packed hotel ballrooms. I was sixteen at that time and dreamed of bringing what we had created to other states, but it was only a distant dream. Little did I know that, just a few months later, our mission would touch the hearts and minds of millions worldwide.

2010 was the start of what Miss Amazing is today. Teen Nickelodeon's life-changing Teen Nick HALO Award Show shared the Miss Amazing story with its viewers and provided us with a generous grant to jumpstart our expansion. I was absolutely stunned by how many people reached out to bring Miss Amazing to their states. People from California, New York, Utah, Indiana—200 state director applications came in through the mail over just a couple of months!

As they say, the rest is history. Since we appeared on the Teen Nick HALO Awards, Miss Amazing has grown into a nationwide community of people that invests in the potential of girls and women with disabilities. To date, we've directly impacted the lives of more than 1700 girls and women with disabilities in 32 states across the country. Take a look at our journey, from 2012 to today!

Thanks to the creativity and innovation that our supporters have brought to the table, Miss Amazing is on its way to making the world a more inclusive place. It began with a simple platform and, today, that platform has grown into tool that girls and women with disabilities have used to develop friendships, grow as leaders and philanthropists, and to dispel the commonly-held myths about their value.

We have much further to go, and I can hardly wait to continue with you. Thank you for being a part of this community and movement.

In celebration of Giving Tuesday on November 29th and to kick off our 10th year, we're asking all Miss Amazing supporters to give a $10 donation. The price of two coffees can pave the way for a future that's even brighter than our past. Thank you in advance for your support of our mission, and happy holidays!